The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-23
PROGRESS FROM POVERTY.
Mr. Edward Atl1inson's Wow of tho
Economic Situation.
Ne,o York Times, February lGth.

Ne,o York Times, February lGM.
If the members Of the Nineteenth
Century Club and their friends do
not awake this morning after night
in which statistics have played an
important part in their dreams when
the interest which they, displayed
last evening while Edward Atkinson
reeled off numbers to thom for an
hour didn't mean what it seemed to
mean. A theatre party could have
been hardly better pleased, and
when Mr.. Atkinson made his parting
bow he was rewarded in way that
certainly would have compelled an
encore under other circumstances.
He came here on on invitation to talk
before the club on "Progrcss from
Poverty" When the lecture began
the attendance more than filed the
large hall at the American Art Gal.
leries and overaowed into the corri.
dors.
Ine speaker did not partake of the
common belief that $4,000 votes for
Henry George indicated dangerous
symptoms, but rather wholesome
agitation. Laboring men had no
wish to destroy the country, for had
they been 80 minded they could have
done it long ago. Mr.. Atkinson
drew from under his desk stone
axe, cut by prehistoric man." and
modern fifty.cent hatchet. They gave
him his text.
The maker Of the axe was a greater
capitalist than the hatchct maker.
The latter saved labor. If a capi.
talist saved what would otherwise be
wasted, of what harm was the capi-
talist. Of old he kept everything to
himself; now he had to allow others
to share the benefits Of his work.
More than 80 per cent. of the peo
pie enjoyed substantial equality now.
The rich had more clothing, but the
poor wore out more. In fuel they
were equal consumers. The greatest
disparity between the two was in
shelter and in the control of their
time. Subsistence was now so
abundant that there was complaint
Of overproduction. There was more
capital than could be used.
A great cry went up eternally
about the railroads. For his part he
would rather have the VandGrbilts
carry his trunk than to carry it him
self. They could do it cheaper. All
modern agitation led him to con-
clude that social and political con.
ditions were to be improved by evu-
luton, not by revolution. There was
not an art in which the profit was not
less than the waste Of TWENTY-FIVE
years ago. The margin of profit had
become very small. If men became
rich by saving the waste and apply.
ing it to the benefit of labor, who
suffered ?,
Experience showed that the great
remedy for Socialism was the devcl.
ment of the individual and the ed
ucation of the young. Labor was
fast learning that diminished profits
and prices went hand in hand with
higher wages and lower cost.
The earning power Of capital had de-
creased since 1860 from 8 to 4 per
cent, while labor's condition lad
improved. The very poor were not
more numerous than formerly. In
tho organization of labor was
found an attempt to equalize the
disparities of modern conditions.
High wages were the corelative of
low cost. Pauper labor was to be
feared only by those of pauper in.
tel.igence. Mr.. Atkinson said he
had Investigated fifty arts. They all
showed progress developing from
poverty; high wages with diminish
cd profits, and on all sides an ap.
proach to more equal conditions of
the employer and laborer.
When Mr.. Atkinson rolled up his
charts and settled himself comforta
bly, among the audience, his paper
was discussed by Prof. Edmund l..
James of the University Of Pennsyl.
vania and by others.
BLAINE'S NEW HOPE.